Heidi Duckler Dance’s 41st Anniversary Celebration: Summons to Celebrate

Summons To Celebrate is a new presentation by Heidi Duckler Dance honoring the company’s 41st anniversary of activating and celebrating the libraries, landmarks, and civic spaces that shape our city’s cultural memory. We are especially honored to mark this milestone at the historic Los Angeles Law Library, founded in 1891 and listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Over the past year, Heidi Duckler Dance has celebrated libraries and civic spaces throughout Los Angeles, affirming that history is not only something preserved from centuries past, but something continually created through our everyday lives, relationships, and collective experiences. In Summons to Celebrate we ask the question, how do we deepen our connection to the world around us? We invite you to gather and join us in an historic reservoir of enchantment. Dress code ~ Fancy Cocktail Attire! Event Timeline 6:00 PM | Cocktails and Hors D’oevres 7:00 PM | Live Dance Performance by Heidi Duckler Dance 7:30 PM | Award Ceremony & Dinner 8:30 PM | Dessert and Dancing Meet the Honorees Jessica Strand is a cultural producer, curator, and author dedicated to the enduring power of the human story. As the Senior Director of Programming and Strategic Engagement for the Library Foundation of Los Angeles, she has spent decades shaping dynamic public spaces across America’s major cultural hubs. Jessica expanded LFLA’s flagship ALOUD series into a robust slate of multi-disciplinary programs, created the foundation’s marquee Night at the Library event, and forged transformative partnerships with institutions like the ACLU, The New York Times, the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, and the Library of America to radically diversify civic programming. A natural innovator, Jessica transforms traditional literary events into vibrant, cross-disciplinary community conversations. She has engineered high-profile campaigns that meet people where they are—most notably creating the Books at Noon series at the New York Public Library. During her tenure programming for the iconic Strand Book Store, she conceived a city-wide literacy initiative that integrated books into New York City’s MTA transit system. Jessica’s commitment to promoting young creators extends globally and institutionally. She serves as a judge and panelist for premier distinctions, including the Library of Congress Prize for American Fiction, the Jeannette Haien Ballard Writer’s Prize, and the Amazon Literary Partnership nonprofit grants. She nominates writers for fellowships at the international residency program Civitella Ranieri in Umbria, Italy. Jessica is the author of over ten lifestyle books, and has edited anthologies, including Upstairs at the Strand: Writers in Conversation, and has curated the poetry collection Love Found: 50 Classic Poems of Desire, Longing, and Devotion. Drawn by the uniquely innovative architectural culture of Los Angeles in the 80s and early 90s, John and Alice moved west after finishing graduate school, where they quickly discovered their common approach to architectural form and space-making, as well as the desire to use their skills to improve the urban realm for the benefit of everyone. Soon after combining their efforts, they also began using color, texture, and graphics as powerful storytelling and design tools to help express community identity and shape contemporary culture. Progressive early projects such as LA Design Center in South Los Angeles and Club Sugar received wide recognition, and were quickly followed by inclusive learning environments for LAUSD and Caltech, among others. Their commitment to resilient placemaking also has led to important commissions from socially oriented cities such as Los Angeles and Palm Springs, as well as nonprofits like LA Cleantech Incubator and The United Way. Through design and activism that expand the boundaries of architectural impact, the partners continue to catalyze social change through innovative environmental design. The recipients of multiple national and international awards, most recently John and Alice received two National Honor Awards from the AIA, as well as the LA Chapter’s 2025 Gold Medal. Gregory Gorman has transitioned from one of Los Angeles; most highly-regarded trial and complex business lawyers into a leader in Entrepreneurial and non-profit management. After graduating from Northwestern University’s Medill School of Journalism and its PritzkerSchool of law, he went on to work for some of California’s most prestigious law firms. He wasrecognized twice as a “Super Lawyer” for his legal work and became the first African American Partner at one of the premier law firms in the country. Mr. Gorman went on to become Managing Counsel of Yum Brands, the Fortune 500 Company that owns Taco Bell, Kentucky Fried Chicken, Pizza Hut and other franchise chains. He was also Vice President of Legal and Operations for SoLa Impact, one of the fastest growing affordable housing companies in the Country and owner of the Bee Hive, one of the City’s highest profile destinations. Mr. Gorman followed his love of education and nonprofit management when he became general counsel and later president of Phillips Graduate University. He also chaired the university’s organizational management and consulting doctoral program. As the president of The Gorman Group, he now provides high level strategic legal and consulting services and trains nonprofit boards in finance, accounting and strategic planning. He is horribly addicted to his wife Dr. Yolanda Gorman, golf and his 5 kids and grandchild. Meet the Speakers Monique Earl is a senior public sector executive with more than two decades of experience turning big ideas into real-world impact across infrastructure, government, and civic life. At Trifiletti Consulting, she leads work spanning infrastructure delivery, workforce development, and public affairs—including community engagement and stakeholder outreach for the Inglewood Transit Connector and efforts to revitalize Downtown Inglewood’s historic Market Street corridor. Her career includes senior leadership roles with the City of Los Angeles, where she served as Executive Officer at the Los Angeles Department of Transportation, Deputy Mayor of Budget and Fiscal Policy, and Senior Assistant General Manager at the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power. Across these roles, Monique has built a reputation for navigating complex public-sector challenges while keeping people, communities, and results at the center of the work. A native Angeleno and proud resident of historic Leimert Park, Monique’s connection to Los Angeles extends well beyond her professional life. She is deeply engaged in the civic life of the region and serves on the boards of the SEED School of Los Angeles County, Los Angeles Urban League, and Los Angeles Neighborhood Initiative. Monique holds a Master of Public Administration from American University and a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from California State University, Northridge. Katherine serves as the Executive Director of LA Law Library, a vital community center for equal access to legal resources, digital materials, and free public education. With a vast collection of state, federal, and foreign legal resources spanning 35 miles of shelving, LA Law Library is the second largest law library in the country. Only the Library of Congress holds a slightly larger collection. Katherine has practiced law in both the private and public sectors. In the private sector, she has years of experience as a trial attorney representing clients in complex civil litigation and contested conservatorship cases. As a public interest attorney, Katherine was Staff Counsel for the Mountains Recreation and Conservation Authority, a joint powers authority of the State of California. She served as Director of a Self-Help Conservatorship Clinic in partnership with the Los Angeles Superior Court, and worked as a legal aid attorney assisting seniors and vulnerable elderly clients in a variety of legal issues. In addition to her legal practice, Katherine worked in education as the Program Director for Real Estate and Legal Programs at UCLA Extension, and an adjunct professor of law with California State Polytechnic University Pomona. Sponsorship Levels Individual Entry: $300 Tickets for Two: $500 Artist Sponsor : $1,000 – Shared table and tickets for 4 – Company logo or name listed on all media materials, newsletters and e-blasts Event Sponsor: $2,500 – Table and tickets for 10 – Company logo or name listed on all media materials, newsletters and e-blasts Season Sponsor: $5,000 – Two tables and tickets for 20 – Wine Bottle Service – Company logo or name listed on all media materials, newsletters and e-blasts Organizational Sponsor: $10,000 – Two tables and tickets for 20 – Wine Bottle Service – Company logo or name listed on all media materials, newsletters, and e-blasts – Private rooftop cocktail reception at The Bendix in 2025. **Heidi Duckler Dance Leadership Circle members receive special accommodations and invitations. To learn how you can join the Leadership Circle, visit here and email [email protected]. Event Sponsors Abby Sher & John May Burns & Bouchard, Inc. Dan Simon Del Amo Construction Ehrlich Yanai Rhee Chaney Architects First Citizens Bank Heidi Duckler & Dan Rosenfeld John Friedman + Alice Kimm Architects Lyle & Lisi Poncher Richard & Sandra Mallory Susan Steinhauser / The Greenberg Foundation